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Top 10 Best Ultra Zoom Bridge Digital Cameras 2014

Top 10 Best Ultra Zoom Bridge Digital Cameras 2014 - Top 10 Best Ultra Zoom / Bridge Cameras Reviewed by ePHOTOzine, with up to 60x optical zoom these cameras offer the most zoom available, as well as manual controls and SLR styling.

Updated September 2014. The ultra zoom - or bridge style camera is a popular format of camera, offering SLR styled looks, manual controls and huge optical zoom. This style of camera lets you get wide-angle shots and then zoom into distant subjects, with the latest cameras offering up to 60x optical zoom! Here is our list of the best ultra zoom / bridge cameras reviewed on ePHOTOzine, click the name to read the full review:

Number 1 - Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 - The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 features a large 20 megapixel 1inch sensor for improved image quality along with a Leica f/2.8 - f/4.0 16x optical zoom lens equivalent to 24-400mm in 35mm terms. The camera also features 4K video recording, raw shooting, manual controls and built in Wi-Fi. The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 is available for £749.

2nd - Panasonic Lumix FZ72

Panasonic Lumix FZ72 / FZ70 - The Panasonic Lumix FZ72 features a massive 60x optical zoom lens, manual controls, raw shooting, 9fps continuous shooting, full HD video recording, stereo sound, as well as accessories that will take the zoom to 102x optical zoom! The Panasonic Lumix FZ72 is available for £249.

Joint 2nd: Canon Powershot SX50 HS

Canon Powershot SX50 HS - The Canon Powershot SX50 has a 50x optical zoom lens, giving the equivalent of 24 - 1200mm. This combined with clever zoom subject tracking features makes it an impressive camera, with 13fps continuous shooting and a vari-angle screen. The Canon Powershot SX50 HS is available for £319.

Joint 2nd: Panasonic Lumix FZ200

Panasonic Lumix FZ200 - The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 may "only" have a 24x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 25mm to 600mm at the telephoto end, but it features a bright f/2.8 aperture at all lens positions, making it great for low-light photography. It also features 12fps continuous shooting and a vari-angle screen. The Panasonic Lumix FZ200 is available for £349.

Joint 2nd: Nikon Coolpix P600

Nikon Coolpix P600 - The Nikon Coolpix P600 features a 60x optical zoom lens, full HD video recording, a tilting vari-angle 3inch screen, built in Wi-Fi, manual controls and a large rubber grip making it easy to hold the camera steady when using lots of optical zoom. The Nikon Coolpix P600 is available for £299 in black or red.

3rd: Canon Powershot SX510 HS

Canon Powershot SX510 HS - The Canon Powershot SX510 HS is one of the smallest ultra zoom bridge camera available and features a 30x optical zoom lens, full HD video recording, built in Wi-Fi, 0cm macro mode, and manual controls. The Canon Powershot SX510 HS is available for £149.

Joint 4th: Olympus Stylus SP-100EE

Olympus Stylus SP-100EE - The Olympus Stylus SP-100EE has a clever targeting system designed to let you track a moving subject when using the 50x optical zoom lens, along with an electronic viewfinder and a 3inch screen. The Olympus Stylus SP100EE is available for £299.

Joint 4th: Fujifilm FinePix S-1

Fujifilm FinePix S-1 - The Fujifilm FinePix S1 bridge camera features a weather-sealed body, making it ideal for inclement weather - the camera features a 50x optical zoom lens, as well as a 3inch tilting vari-angle screen. The Fujifilm FinePix S1 is available for £367.

Joint 4th: Fujifilm FinePix SL1000

Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 - The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 is a 50x optical zoom camera, with a flash hot-shoe, 10fps continuous shooting, a tilting screen, full HD video, manual controls and SLR styling. The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 is available for £185. An alternative to the Fujifilm FinePix SL1000, is the Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR.

Re your comment "The Sony Cybershot HX100v comes with built in GPS, and is the only ultra zoom available with GPS" may I say WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! If you look at the photo of the Nikon you can see GPS on top of it. Some research you did!

Re your comment "The Sony Cybershot HX100v comes with built in GPS, and is the only ultra zoom available with GPS" may I say WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! If you look at the photo of the Nikon you can see GPS on top of it. Some research you did!

In these cameras I most like sl1000 but with some changes! First one is f number in range of 2.8 to 5.8 Second with 4Mp sensor !! I think for these cameras lower mega pixel is a better idea to lower noise;)
Third change is a zoom ring like HS50 model & fourth I can't remember!Maybe I got Alzheimer's disease:$.If I remember I'll tell U:D

In these cameras I most like sl1000 but with some changes! First one is f number in range of 2.8 to 5.8 Second with 4Mp sensor !! I think for these cameras lower mega pixel is a better idea to lower noise
Third change is a zoom ring like HS50 model & fourth I can't remember!Maybe I got Alzheimer's disease.If I remember I'll tell U

Well. looking at this list of "bridges" I found something missing: a [b]Fuji FinePix HS50EXR[/b].
If Fuji SL1000 and Canon SX50 HS are included, then HS50EXR is still a worthy contender.
I believe that at the moment, both Fuji's new S1 and SL1000 cameras are not on a par with HS50EXR.

Well. looking at this list of "bridges" I found something missing: a Fuji FinePix HS50EXR.
If Fuji SL1000 and Canon SX50 HS are included, then HS50EXR is still a worthy contender.
I believe that at the moment, both Fuji's new S1 and SL1000 cameras are not on a par with HS50EXR.

Frankly speaking, I was surprised to see that SL1000 was put to the fore and not HS50EXR. The same feeling was with S1. My personal opinion is that HS50EXR is still the flagship in the Fuji's bridge camera lineup and that Fuji has yet to come out with better bridge than HS50EXR. I hope they have been already planning & preparing something very cool to substitute HS50EXR.

Frankly speaking, I was surprised to see that SL1000 was put to the fore and not HS50EXR. The same feeling was with S1. My personal opinion is that HS50EXR is still the flagship in the Fuji's bridge camera lineup and that Fuji has yet to come out with better bridge than HS50EXR. I hope they have been already planning & preparing something very cool to substitute HS50EXR.

[quote]Pedantic, maybe, but if four cameras are joint 2nd the next one should be 6th not 3rd.
Or would the advertisers be upset by that?[/quote] Quite correct. It annoyed me too. Surely Web sites are not so swayed, next you'll be saying that their news is mere copy and paste of a manufacturer's publicity leaflet. ;)
Also, potentially Pedantic, why when ePhotozine are headlining the article as best ultra zoom bridge cameras does the 1st only have a common or garden 16x zoom?

Quote:Pedantic, maybe, but if four cameras are joint 2nd the next one should be 6th not 3rd.

Or would the advertisers be upset by that? Quite correct. It annoyed me too. Surely Web sites are not so swayed, next you'll be saying that their news is mere copy and paste of a manufacturer's publicity leaflet.

Also, potentially Pedantic, why when ePhotozine are headlining the article as best ultra zoom bridge cameras does the 1st only have a common or garden 16x zoom?

[quote]Also, potentially Pedantic, why when ePhotozine are headlining the article as best ultra zoom bridge cameras does the 1st only have a common or garden 16x zoom?[/quote]
We could do a list of the best 8-16x bridge cameras, but the list would be pretty short, featuring the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 and Sony Cyber-shot RX10.

Quote:Also, potentially Pedantic, why when ePhotozine are headlining the article as best ultra zoom bridge cameras does the 1st only have a common or garden 16x zoom?

We could do a list of the best 8-16x bridge cameras, but the list would be pretty short, featuring the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 and Sony Cyber-shot RX10.

[quote]I have spent the last week researching for a Good Bridge camera with a true manual zoom. I can only find the Fugi HS50 to fit my requirement. Are there no others??[/quote]
Yep the Sony RX10, Sony HX400(last of this list) and the Lumix FZ1000 (first of this list) features a ring for manual zoom as well as a switch to select if the ring will controll zoom or focus.

Quote:I have spent the last week researching for a Good Bridge camera with a true manual zoom. I can only find the Fugi HS50 to fit my requirement. Are there no others??

Yep the Sony RX10, Sony HX400(last of this list) and the Lumix FZ1000 (first of this list) features a ring for manual zoom as well as a switch to select if the ring will controll zoom or focus.